Clocks don't work
by Flamist.Rika
Summary: As Juni stands as Lord Loss's right hand, a mysterious fellow Demon Master named simply 'The Countess', has found a new goal aside from chaos and misery- to make sure Juni goes away.  pairing: slight LLXJuni, possible LLXOC
1. The Countess with No Voice of Her Own

Clocks Don't Work

Chapter 1

~The Countess with no voice of her own~

Lord Loss laid back in his throne, bored, as some of his Familiars wrestled with one another, and Juni, his loyal albino servant, next to him. He felt slightly…on edge. In a few moments- he understood why. A chilly and bone-tingling voice filled the halls- a beautiful but eerie song that held no words. His Familiars stopped fighting and whimpered, backing up and clamoring fearfully behind their Master's chair. Juni looked confused, but enchanted, "Don't be fooled." Lord Loss hissed lowly to her, touching her arm gently, "Ignore the singing."

"Ah?" She asked, coming back from a trance, and looking at him, "What for? It's so beautiful."

"She's here." He said instead, as two, large, car-sized, saber-toothed Panthers with feather-like blades along their spines, walked on either side of a figure in a black dress and a long, black veil to their knees. The dress's sleeves went to mid-thigh and the dress had its own long, black train. Who ever it was-they dressed as if they were mourning a death of a loved one. Lord Loss got up and drifted the person's way, "Why Countess, it's so good to see you-" Lord Loss said, and two demons appeared out of no where, and blocked his path with a pair of long, diamond- shaped, cast steel blades. They looked like- humans. They were muscular and fight, but wore garments of human skin; executioner's masks covered their faces. "I see." Lord Loss drifted backwards slightly and the Body guards stood to attention and put the ends of their swords in the ground, waiting for orders idly. One of the Panthers spoke-it had silver ornaments around it's neck and the one of the person's right had gold ornaments with a dark onyx gem in the middle.

"Your Master wants to know why you have failed to visit her after countless invitations, and rather spend your time with a HUMAN." The silver ornamented Panther demanded, in the voice of a woman, the person looking at the panther, and to the gold ornamented one, "We question your right as a Demon Master." Lord Loss looked hurt and spoke to the figure directly,

"I've been busy, Countess…"

"SILENCE!" The Panthers snapped, and the person in black stepped away from them and Lord Loss cast a glance their way. She headed straight for Juni.

"Now, Countess, Play nicely-" The Countess stopped, and Juni gasped, clenching her heart, and fell to the ground, panting in agony, "You must believe me when I say I have been truly busy-"

"Lord Loss should know revenge and pain is something inflicted slowly and over a long period of time." One of the Panthers said, "Everyone knows that." The other said, "How pathetic- for a Demon Master to side with Humans." Lord Loss glared at them, the snakes in the hole in his chests reared and hissed at them, but thy cared not- they were only the escorting team. A cry of extreme agony ripped through the air, and the Countess walked away, half of Juni's face missing, as she panted heavily, blood dripping to the ground, "If Lord Loss wants to play games with Humans, that he should learn that even the games can be double-edged." "Indeed. Mistress…" They looked at the cloaked figure that looked at the Girl. They reached down and Lord Loss stiffened, as they pulled up their skirt- and kicked Juni. Not a kick, really- just put a sharp, high heel to Juni's chest, and pushed lightly- but it sent Juni flying into the shivering horde of Demons behind Lord Loss's throne. They walked back to their escort, stopping just in front of Lord Loss, turning their head to him.

"Another absence will not be accepted by the other Demon Masters- for your own sake, try to make it." The cloaked person said, "I hope that you don't come, personally- you make us all look weak- by losing to Humans." With that, their whipped around and left, as the song filled the air once more until it vanished, meaning she was gone. The Familiars helped Juni up and stopped shivering, as Lord Loss went to his throne, Juni using magic to repair herself,

"Who was that?"

"The Countess of Hatred." Lord Loss answered bluntly, "She's been my worst competitor since early on."

_

* * *

The Countess of Hatred- once known around as Juniper at a time- had been the wife of the late Count. They had lived together in another Demon Realm, but they had always been number one, and Lord Loss always number 2. Lord Loss and the Countess had been neck and neck ever since the beginning, but once the Count died, she had lost the will to fight him and kept to herself, still keeping 1__st__ place. Her Familiars were different from Lord Loss's, whose were just mindless lower demons. No one knew how she got her Demons, but they were stronger, and of higher class than even Lord Loss's, and had their own thought process. It had also been rumored that the Countess had a beautiful singing voice, but some how, her Panther Demons, Spick and Span, had taken it. It was a rumor, and no more, but she didn't talk much. Juni had found out that it was Lord Loss who told the Countess to wear black- (apparently, she wore bright colors like white and baby blue)-as to mourn her late husband. She did- but it turned from a veil to such a long, gorgeous robe.

* * *

_

"Look, Lord Loss came!" A Demon Master said as Lord Loss opened the door, "We were waiting for you, you know? You never come!" Lord Loss nodded and Juni looked around the room. There was an air of nobility that was almost suffocating- but the Countess was no where to be found. The creatures she had come to Lord Loss's realm with, were not in sight and the only ones that were, were the other Demon Master's favorite Familiars. Juni caught a glimpse of one of the muscular executioners, and gave no heed to Lord Loss's warning of staying close, as she ran after it. Another Demon Master noticed this as well, "Lord Loss- it seems your servant is rather…disobedient. How humiliating and embarrassing." Lord Loss shot his Colleague a glance, and the Demon Master sipped smugly from a glass, "It looks like she's heading towards the Countess's private quarters and that you've lost yet another worthless assistant." Lord Loss sent his Familiars after her, and ten others stared at him from the shadows, their eyes glowing maliciously, as if they were waiting for his Familiars to vanish to attack.

The Executioner met up with its Twin down a long, elegant hallway that twisted to a small, spiral stair case, and Juni followed them as quietly as she could, into a room where the doors were already open for her. The sound of water gently flowing, filled her ears with white noise, as the executioners waited beside a spring, a waterfall to the left.

"Guests….Waiting…" One of the Executioners grumbled loudly and in a gruff voice, someone laying on a large rock, in the center of the spring- no- the Panthers were laying there. On a cliff, higher up, was where the Executioner was directing their words to. The Executioners shivered, "Yes…" they turned and walked past Juni, who used a masking spell, and they shut the door- locking it. The Panthers growled and looked up at Juni,

"We know you're here, Little Girl." The one with silver ornaments smirked, "So did the Bodybuilders." "She wants you here-" "-To talk to you-""-And you won't leave until she's said her peace." The Panthers said, in tune, as they eerily finished one another's sentences. Juni frowned before there was movement- on top of the cliff. Someone looked at her with the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. Irises the color of diamonds and that sparkled like such, even from the distance, with sharp slits in the middle of them, and a hazy blue around them. Long, silver hair cascaded a good 1/3rd down the cliff that was about 10 feet tall anyway. Who ever they were- they were drop-dead gorgeous. They crossed their arms on the top of the cliff- and that's when Juni noticed cleavage. Lots of it. More than she had. More than she had ever seen. There was a sharp pain in Juni's head and she remained standing with the last of her will power.

_What makes you think you can stand beside a Demon Master and forever be safe, Human? _A dark and jealous voice asked her, but it was low. _How can you think that you can live here? Just because you have some magic? So what- that's ALL you have!_ Juni fell o her knees, gripping her head, tying to use all of her magic to force the voice out, but the woman stood- their hair covering their nudity as if they were Aphrodite reborn. _You can't push me out. I'm stronger than you. My will is yours by 30 fold, Girl. _ The Panther in silver got to its feet and leapt from the rock platform in the center of the spring, to rest of the floor and grinned, growling lowly, as its brother joined it, and they circled around Juni like a pair of Vultures waiting for their prey to finally die. _You hold no power here- and when Lord Loss finds out that you are of no use to him- he'll throw you away. Just like the others. Take your cursed emotions elsewhere, Girl. _The woman jumped down, and landed on the water, before walking across the surface, not leaving a single ripple. _You remind me of the Count's whore. Pity. I killed her entire family and she's bleeding out for the rest of eternity. _ The voice left and Juni panted of air, and the Panthers brought the Woman some clothes. A long, black dress with matching sleeves, but cut off just below her shoulders, and a thick fur around where it was cut off from. She looked at Juni with a cool and calculation stare, before the doors were opened and she stepped out as her hair was tied up by an invisible force. Lord Loss entered the room after she left and looked at Juni,

"You look like you're in one piece…" Lord Loss commented and Juni who got to her feet, wobbling,

"She…entered my mind. I couldn't do anything about it…" Juni murmured, holding her head, "It still hurts…"

"That's her way of speaking, I'm afraid." Lord Loss said and Juni recovered. Her knees were shaking a little, but she got over it and they left the room, "You only made it to the bathing room. I thought you'd go straight to her sleeping chambers." Juni didn't understand what he meant, but the Countess was in the living room, on a stool, a glass in hand. She tapped it a couple times with her finger to grab the other's attention and they looked at her. They were shocked, obviously. She opened her mouth,

(A.N: Although what the Countess says is in quotations, she's not talking- she's telepathically talking to all of them.)

"_I…I am horrified to see how some of you have been manipulated by insects as low as Humans."_ Some of the Demon Masters flinched, and looked down quickly. "_Many of us- have destroyed anything that they may use to annoy us, but some of us have neglected to do so. They have even been brought among us- as Lord Loss has shown."_ All the Demon Masters turned and looked squarely at Lord Loss, who frowned slightly, and Juni shivered next to him, the Countess looked directly at her. Her knees almost buckled beneath her_. "This doesn't mean we should turn against our- enemies- this just means he's taken a step higher up on the ladder. So- Congratulations, to our friend Lord Loss."_ There was silence. _"Clap, fools."_ She sighed in exhaustion, and vibrant, energetic clapping began. She put a hand up and they stopped, _"Some of you may know why I put myself into isolation for such a long time- and some of you may not. I'd like to inform you all, that after centuries of experimentation- I have made the Perfect Unholy Familiar. I've been putting it through extensive tests recently, so I'm letting it rest a while, but I had hoped I could show it to you all."_ The Demon Masters were surprised and gibbered with excitement, and Lord Loss blinked,

"Ah- I'm interested." Juni looked at him with confusion, "The Countess- she doesn't kill Humans who try to make deals with her. She makes a contract with them, granting her their soul and body, if they fail to meet their goal or hers, and experiments on them. She uses them to make her Familiars- the last one was truly a beautiful and loathsome beast. She set it loose on the Human Realm for fun, and it was killed by some Disciples to her dissatisfaction, so her experiments she keeps to herself now. But a Perfect Familiar?" Lord Loss left the question hanging and mixed in with the group following the Countess, down the East wing. A long window flanked one side of the hall, and they all stood behind her as she approached it. She put her hand to the glass, and there was a low howl, before she reached over to a switch and flicked on the lights into the huge room behind the glass. A few lights flickered on, but nothing more. A large creature slinked into view- covered by dark, ominous clouds of darkness and demonic energy.

"_I named him Faith."_ She said and the creature same up to the window, and Juni took some shelter behind Lord Loss. Dark, red orbs looked at them all, and then at the Countess. It looked her over before pressing a three-pronged tipped tongue to the window and licking it. It smashed its head against the glass, cracking it, and roared, shaking the room and the glass, as it did the ground and the whole Realm. _"Isn't he marvelous?" _It stared at her, baring the sharpest teeth Juni had ever seen a Demon have- but the teeth were jagged, from the bottom to the top, but on the back. If one were to look at it from the front, they were smooth- but from behind they were dangerously razored_. "I like his teeth- He can grab any victim and hold them in his mouth as his teeth rip them to shreds, making it easier of him to digest them."_ He lay down and the darkness around him shot out like spikes and stabbed the lights, giving him darkness. The only thing that shone was his eyes. He roared and icy white fire appeared around him, glistening off his loathsome form and his teeth, as he ruled the darkness the fire did not touch, like a greedy tyrant. _"We'll leave him now."_ They left but Juni felt strongly to stay behind, and the creature stared at her. It slammed its talon-decorated claw against the glass, making her jolt in fear and surprise, as it narrowed its eyes to her.

_You left your loved ones behind and turned against them. Above all- you still love them- so I will constrict you, as I devour them limb from limb in front of you._

A dark voice said to her, but it was a male's low voice, and she thought about a past life she had vowed to leave behind. The voice left peacefully- not like the Countess had, who left poison in her mind and a painful wound. The eyes and the claw vanished, as Lord Loss appeared, "Juni." She blinked and looked at him,

"I'm sorry- I'm coming." She apologized to him and followed him away from the window. The Voice, gently slipping into her mind as she walked away,

_Remember your loved ones like I can't._

It vanished as gently as it had come, and a bang of sadness hit her heart. The Countess had vanished and so had everyone else. Lord Loss opened a portal and helped Juni through, his familiars slowly following, and Lord Loss looked back at the Countess, who stood there, silent. "I see you regained your voice."

"_I see you've become tame."_ She countered and he turned his back to the portal, clapping at the venom in her words. _"We- can slow down clocks- but they will never completely stop until we die. We only buy time. You- need to stop buying extra time and live on the time you still have."_

"What an optimistic view you've gained." He commented, "I was thinking on a trip to the Human Realm- will you come with me?" She thought about it, and looked at him,

"_I suppose. I do like the clothes they offer."_ She answered emotionless, crossing her arms over her chest, and Lord Loss nodded.

"Yes- by the way- when are you going to take off that Human skin you're wearing?" Lord Loss asked, "It's flattering, and although its your true bust, hair, voice, and eyes, I don't think it fits you."

"_What a coincidence; I didn't think the whore who slept with my late husband deserved it either. So I took it from her and molded it to fit my own body."_ She sneered, and ran her fingers through the long stands of hair over her shoulders, and her hair unwound itself, grinning devilishly, _"What's wrong? Does it not suit your tastes? Or do you like ALBINOS better?"_ Lord Loss got the hint he was wearing out his welcome, as her temper had touched the surface and broken through her fake grin. He left and she stood there. _"Hm…I do need new skin…and the thought of pale skin isn't so bad…"_ The Panthers appeared and rubbed against her hands and legs, _"I suppose I will take it for my own then."_


	2. High Flying and High Falling

Clocks Don't Work

Chapter 2

~High Flying and High Falling~

She sat in the chair, looking at herself in a large shard that was once part of a mirror. Pale white skin. Thin, white hair. Pinkish red eyes. Juni examined a strand of hair. The Countess's was pure silver, as if it had been taken from the lining of God's holy Kingdom, and put into her hair. The dark and sinister hint in her diamond eyes. Her lips were naturally red to… a natural layer of lipstick that could never be taken away from her. Juni touched her chest lightly. Sure, she wasn't very…curvaceous…but that hadn't stopped her before. In all of her clothes, she looked flat as a washboard- no- flat as a wall. The Countess was easily a D or E cup. Juni couldn't even compare in that department with her. She couldn't see how she could compete with her at all. When the thought of the Countess possibly trying to get Juni out of the picture to get Lord Loss's affections, it would make sense and Juni couldn't compare.

The Countess's words were harsh and unwanted, but she was right- eventually, Lord Loss would grow tired of her. She had some magic abilities but not enough to compete with the sheer fact of Faith, the new Familiar of the Countess.

_Remember your loved ones like I can't remember mine._

What had the creature meant when it told her such a thing? It seemed like a riddle inside a riddle to her, but she was sure that wasn't the only way it talked. Juni's head still hurt from the Countess's rough invasion of her mind. It was as if an arrow was shot into her skull and the arrow head was jagged; latched itself tightly inside, and was then ripped out carelessly. Faith had entered the same wound but entered as if air was just going in and left without leaving a trace behind. Faith seemed sullen but she paid no attention as Lord Loss came in. "We're going to the Human Realm with the Countess." Juni frowned, "She wants to go shopping."

"Oh… can she fit through the portal?" Juni questioned and Lord Loss thought about it,

"She's in a human's body so I suppose she can…" Juni laughed at his thinking aloud and he blinked in confusion,

"She must be really ugly if she steals bodies, huh?" Juni asked, making her out to be grotesque so she felt better about herself. She was probably an ugly insect monster with sores all over-

"Actually, no, she's not." Lord Loss said simply and Juni stopped laughing, "I believe- I have a drawing of her before she began stealing Human bodies. Come." He said, beckoning her to follow and lead her down a hallway of his own home, paintings lining the walls. There was even one of him, "The Count was a fan of Art, so he painted pictures of the Demon Masters. His Wife made my picture and I tried my hand at hers- but it didn't come out how I expected it so the Count did it." The picture of him was at a 3/4th angle, and he was holding a rose and sneering, thorns and vines all around him, as if he was the dark terror of an even darker forest of creeping vines and sharp rose thorns. The picture to the left of it was of a beautiful woman with dark blue skin and the ears of an elf from Fairy Tale she was read as a child. It was another 3/4ths picture but where she was looking from her left, Lord loss looking from his right to whoever viewed the painting. The woman was smiling gently, hands over lapping in the lap of a lush, dark blue velvet dress with gold trimmings. Long, silver hair past her buttocks, and diamond eyes, surrounded by baby powder blue, that held a devilish aspect to them. Her lips were purple in this picture and she had several beautiful piercing in her long ears.

"She's stunning." Juni gasped and Lord Loss nodded,

"I believe her nickname was 'Jupiter of the Other Universe'. A play off her name, I believe. I never used it." Lord loss said,

"Is there a painting of the Count?" Juni asked and he thought, rubbing his chin and looking down the hall,

"Maybe…the Count did not like to be the center of pictures." Lord Loss answered and they traveled a little further down the hall, and he pointed to a picture, "Here's the late Count." Juni looked at the painting. This one was taken from the front. He, unlike his wife, did not have long elven ears. His ears were short and had a sharp tip to them, and he was sneering smugly, long grey hair tied back in a braid, but the few strands that hung in his face were pure white. His eyes were a charming light blue and his skin held a pale, bluish-white hue to it. In his grin were sharp teeth. "After he passed, there was a rumor that the Countess ripped out his soul and split it into two beings and molded new forms to the remains of the soul- they are her panthers. That's what the rumor said anyways."

"Do you believe it?" Juni asked him and Lord Loss exhaled slowly, taking his time to choose his words.

"The Countess has been on my side since the beginning, although we're enemies. I will admit, I don't know her so well, but I do not believe she killed him. I know this because I killed him." Lord Loss admitted and Juni looked at him warily, "It's an arms race amongst the Demon Masters- the Countess keeps her fighting to herself and deals with it quickly. The Count brought home human women for his enjoyment. The Countess and I split the reward- I had less competition, and the Countess got a new body to use." Lord Loss floated away and Juni followed, and was left in the hall as she stared at the painting. She noticed that- at the ends of the picture- she could see scales…

~Later~

The Countess and lord Loss were having a debate over something. Juni couldn't make out their words- but the Countess was winning. Lord Loss threw two hands up and abandoned the debate with, "I'm out! You win." she smirked and he went over to Juni, "Are you bringing anything?" He asked and she shook her head, "We'll get you some new clothes as well- maybe you can go shopping with the Countess-"

"What were you two arguing about?" Juni asked curiously and he shook his head,

"She wanted us to get on her new Familiar and travel that way- I'd rather use a portal." Lord Loss said and Juni blinked, "Oh." she responded. Faith was there? She looked past Lord Loss. Indeed, he was beside the Countess, who was a twentieth of his size. Faith was a behemoth, to be blunt. Juni reached out to him telepathically, trying to stay hello, but found his mind was clouded with something else- he did look her way though, and flicked a three-pronged tongue at her, before looking away. He pushed himself onto his back feet and slashed a huge hole in the webs that supported Lord Loss's domain, making a portal big enough for him, and thus, big enough for everyone else.

_And you wanted to not go my way. _The Countess told the both of them, and Lord Loss glared at her,

"Look what you did to my webs, you thoughtless woman!" Lord Loss snapped, and she put her fingers in her ears childishly and looked away from him, as Lord Loss ranted. How was she going to fix it? Was she going to fix it right away or procrastinate? If she didn't want to fix it, she was going to have to pay him back with a custom Familiar. The Countess ignored him, but Faith looked sullen, the darkness around him shot out and wrapped around Lord Loss and his mouth, silencing him, and pulled him closer. Two of his Familiars flinched and went after the darkness, biting into it, and whimpering when it bit them back, jumping away and stay of clear distance. Faith looked at Juni, who felt a hot flush come to her cheeks.

_Please do not fight me like your Master does._

He asked her, his voice swirling slowly and gently in her head like a light mist, and it didn't cloud her judgment or her vision. Juni walked over to Faith and he watched, "Please let him go." Faith looked at her then Lord Loss, and slowly released him, the darkness withdrawing to cover whatever horrid form he had been cursed to live in. The darkness pulsated slowly around Faith and wings shot out of the black clouds, two pairs of great, scaled wings appeared and Faith roared.

"As the humans say- Saddle up!" She said and grabbed Lord Loss, tossing him up as she did to Juni, onto Faith's back and she jumped up herself, landing on his neck and he looked back at her, "Faith! Let's go!" Faith roared and charged forward. There was a bright light, and they were soaring through the skies of the Earth. Faith. The clouds gripped his back but they still flapped in the wind like wicked coat tails of inky nothingness. The Countess was saying something to Faith, but the wind drowned her out, and Lord Loss had two hands on Faiths back, as not to fall off., an arm around Juni's waist. The Countess looked at Juni, and motioned her forward with two finger, before an invisible force pulled her to the Countess's side, and Juni's hand found a huge piece of metal, grabbing onto it for dear life. The Countess knelt on Faith's back, her finger tips on the dark of his skin.

_Look at your world from our eyes, Girl._

Juni looked over Faith's head and her breath caught in her throat. Everything sparkled beneath the- all the cars glittered and shone as if they were some type of strange new gem. Faith slowly banked left and slowly, beating his wings, and dipped down smoothly, as they descended to Earth. The Countess smiled, tilting her head back, and Faith tilted his own head back and closed his eyes. The mighty behemoth shivered, and Lord Loss made his way to the strange metal as well. It was probably a collar for Faith.

_Hold on._

Juni was caught off guard as The Countess leaned back and opened her arms, and exhaled. Faith banked to the left and then banked to the right, pulling off a full cylinder bank, back to his original position, and Juni and the Countess were in the air, as Faith flew off with Lord Loss. Juni screamed in fright. She was going to die- she was going to-! The Countess was twirling downwards; her robes spinning around her, as if she was a heavenly dream. She grabbed Juni's hand and twirled her in the air so that Juni danced, if only for a moment, before Faith caught them and Juni found herself with her hands on the metal collar once more, wondering if what had just happened was a dream. The Countess was patting Faith's back encouragingly. He did a loop and growled happily, as Juni laughed and Lord Loss spat something hateful. The Countess stood up and Faith nose dived. She flew in the air and he looked at her and the other passengers that were with them, and flipped , catching them on his stomach and continued flying, before quickly barrel rolling and catching them on his back once more.

The darkness wrapped around Lord Loss and Juni, as he did another nose dive. The Countess free fell and Juni watched, as she did something wit her hands and the air didn't touch either Lord Loss or Juni. Faith landed on a small clearing and dropped them off, before shooting back into the sky and arching his back, spinning upwards in the air and the countess up a hand out and caught his collar. He shot back down and landed, setting her down too. "I hate you so much right now, Countess. So- much-" She waved him off, smiling and Faith twisted in what seemed like pain, and shrunk down, before flapping over to her shoulder and sitting on it. She smiled and stroked his head with two fingers. Juni fixed her wind torn hair and the Countess walked off, the two following until she stopped and tapped her eyes, changing them to a hazel color and her hair changed to an ugly brown that did not suit her. Juni frowned, "Ah- The real hair and eye color of the mistress, hm?" The Countess nodded and they continued on, finding a boutique and going in right away. "You should go in too."

"Are you saying I'm not pretty?" Juni asked prickly, after seeing someone hold a cute dress against the Countess.

"Why do woman always treat me as if I am the enemy?" Lord Loss asked himself aloud, and shook his head to Juni's demand for information, "I think you may like some of the clothes she likes." He said simply, and Juni nodded, "Go be her friend is what I mean."

"Alright- I can try it…" Juni said and went into the boutique, and the Countess held up some clothes to her,

"I think- these will compliment what little of a figure you have." the Countess smiled, although her words cut Juni like a knife. Juni was irritated but brushed it off, taking the clothes and the Countess went looking trough the other clothes for herself.

"Hey- why did you steal human skin?" the Countess flinched, "You looked so pretty without it." Juni added and the Countess blushed faintly,

"I…I wanted someone I liked to notice me." She said softly, looking at Juni, "That's what you do- when you like someone, right? You try to get their attention?" Juni blinked at the Countess's question, and Juni instantly thought that she probably did it for the late Count…but wasn't he dead?

"Oh- so how did it work out?" Juni asked harmlessly and the Countess looked down, and shook her head, "I'm sorry…"

"I've liked him for a really long time- so I did a lot to try and get him to notice me but he doesn't even look my way or speak to me unless he has to. Like I'm a hassle or something." The Countess said, clenching her fists, "He had a really big interest in Humans- so- I took their skin, to gain his attention." She looked at Juni, tears at the corners of her eyes, "I'm- really jealous of you. You've only known him for a few human years-" The tears streamed down her face as she spoke, "and- I've known him for Millennia, but he looks at you more than he ever looked at me." She sobbed, and Juni frowned. So that was it… "I- wasted my entire life span, and I've been shown up my a mere HUMAN!" She covered her face with her hands, "I've had enough!" she snapped, "Keep your Sad, pathetic, insignificant Master, Human! I've had enough of the likes of him!" She yelled, and ran out of the store, Faith flying after her in his miniaturized form. Juni stood there, stunned, and looked out the window of the boutique at lord Loss, who was watching the Countess run away. She was acting too childish for her age, but she had expressed emotions that Juni had never known a Demonata to have. Lord Loss looked at her questioningly, and Juni looked away.

The Countess of Hatred- liked Lord Loss. Juni covered her mouth. Even though th countess did, she refused to say anything and wanted him to realize it- not to spoiled him with the information. If- if she told him- He'd probably respond positively- right? Juni walked out of the boutique to regroup with Lord Loss, who was fighting once again with the Countess. He was holding onto her arm.

"Let go!" The Countess snapped, "Where are you going? We just got here!" Lord Loss responded and she bit her lip, "I feel sick, I'm going home." "Don't give me that! You're such a child sometimes!" That comment would make any woman snap- but she calmed down and took her arm back- before back handing him. "Why don't you take your Human Loving and shove it up your ass, eh!" she snarled angrily, Faith opening a portal, and the two vanished. Juni ran over to her Master's side to see if he was alright. Although his face was bruised hardcore, seemed to be missing a tooth, half of his face was swollen, and he had a black eye, he brushed her off.

"You didn't say anything to her to make her mad, did you?" He asked and she stared at him in disbelief, "Don't worry about this- It hurts a lot more than it looks."

"That's not something to be nonchalant about, Master…" Juni told him simply and he nodded, his eight hands inter locking in thought, and he looked to where the portal had closed and the Countess had left,

"Pity. I thought we could maybe…play some Mancala." He said, saying the last part softly. Juni raised an eyebrow. The game- that involved moving marbles around? To find who had the most would be donned the winner? "It's- the only Human game the Countess plays. I just recently learned how to play…It's sad she didn't stay longer." He shrugged and they continued on with their own business. If- he had known- then what would he say to the Countess?


	3. Embarrasments and Compliments

Clocks Don't work

Chapter 3

~ Embarrassments and Compliments~

"The Count? I told you, I killed him. What more do you need to know?" Lord Loss huffed, and Juni frowned, tucking her white hair behind an ear, "He was a horrible person- and hated even by the Demonata- his fellow Demon Masters. So, I got rid of him."

"Is- that all?" Juni asked and Lord Loss gave her a warning look, telling her to lay off,

"I went to speak with the count- and I found the Countess, legs broken, in the hallway on the way to his room. Her hair was cut here and there with some sort of scissor object- but most of it was gone and thrown about." He added, "I killed him the next time I saw him. It took her a little while to recover from the injuries, but she was useless as a Demon Master while she was recovering." So that's it. "-The Count was weak anyways." He killed the count- to have stronger opposition? How strange… she walked off. "Go get me those papers I wanted to see." He called after he and she went to retrieve them, wondering about the Countess. By the time she returned, a portal was closing. …Damn it.

~O~ Countess's Fortress ~O~

The Familiars blocked his path, snarling and snapping with Hostility, torn between fear and loyalty. Lord Loss avoided them all and made his way down the west wing, finding the Panthers. "Oh? It's Lord Loss." "You're not supposed to be here." "The Mistress has fallen ill- we sent all of the Demonata a notice."

"I didn't get it." He cut in, pointing to the large doors behind them, "She's in there, right? Let me in." the Panthers looked at one another, then at him,

"We can't. "We were told not to." "No one can go in." "Even Faith must stay out." "She will be fine without us." "Because she is our Mistress." "She's only taking a nap." "She needs rest, you know."

"I've had enough of you two." He said simply and they yipped as they were thrown into opposite walls, and the Demon Master glided forward and pushed open the doors. None of the torches in the room were light- like they were usually. He had been in this room once before to kill the Count. He flicked his wrist and they lit in a counter clockwise motion- but still there was no one in sight. There was the sound of something dripping. On the bed there was a pool of something glittering. Silver blood. More dropped from the ceiling and was added to the pool. He looked up and sighed, "Oh, Countess…" He exhaled rather sympathetically, and the Panthers entered, freezing, stunned by the sight.

"WHAT HAVE YOUR DONE!" The Silver studded one roared, and the other roared at him, "HAS YOUR HATRED GONE SO FAR AS TO DO THIS TO OUR MISTRESS!" Lord Loss looked back at them.

"I found her this way. Where is Faith?" He asked and the Panther's lunged a him, he fought them off. With out Familiars of his own to assist him, it was slightly harder than he thought. They were well trained, swift, and their attacks wee merciless. The both of them came at him like they were made to kill him and Lord Loss was losing ground. A claw came out of the struggling darkness and smacked the Panthers away, and out of the room before the doors boomed shut, as the claw vanished. The Darkness shuddered and pulled away from the floor, curling up to the ceiling, around the body. The shadows pierced the skin and slipped under the flesh. More silver blood. They wrapped around the mouth and the throat. More silver blood. She was too high for him, and the chains that she slept on, suspended her from the ceilings and caressed her as if she slept on a hammock. The darkness pushed itself into the body, as if to hide, and through any way in they could find, even making new ways in.

This was going to be quite the problem…

~O~O~O~

Juni looked over as Lord Loss returned with a long bundle in four of his arms, and she tilted her head to the side, "Welcome back." Juni greeted, but he ignored her and said sometime to his Familiars, and half of them scattered down a long hallway, before he looked at her.

"They didn't annoy your did they?" He asked and she shook her head, "Good-"

"So- how was your expedition?" Juni asked pointedly, looking at the strange bundle. It shivered in Lord Loss's hold.

"Well- the Countess's Familiars think I killed her, so by the time I left, most of them were trying to kill me in the process." Lord Loss answered and handed the bundle off to a larger Familiar of his, and it carried it off.

"Was that- the Countess?" Juni asked quietly and Lord Loss watched the bundle being taken away "What's wrong with her?" Lord Loss said nothing, before Juni went after the bundle and the Familiar holding it. The Familiar placed the bundle on a bed in a room Juni had never seen before, and a hand fell out from the folds of the cloth. She- Juni turned and vomited, as silver blood dripped from the very tips of the hand that lay over the edge of the bed, and onto the floor. Lord Loss entered and undid the cloth, pulling it away, as if to torment Juni more. The Countess lay on the bed; eyes glazed over and lightless, as she stared at the ceiling, silver at the corner of her mouth from between her slightly parted lips. There were strange markings all over her skin and she looked, indeed, dead. Several Familiars piled into the room- the only thing they all had in common was having Blades somewhere on their body- their hands, feet, tails, strange wings- and they were quiet and standing at attention.

"Begin slowly and try to just remove the skin." Lord Loss instructed and the Familiars surrounded the Countess, blacking her out from sight, and Juni looked at Lord Loss,

"W…What are you doing?" Juni asked, and Lord Loss looked at her, serious.

"This isn't the Countess- I'm taking off the Human skin she stole- maybe to help her or not." He said, "She killed herself." The words pierced through Juni's brain. Was that even possible?

_Keep him! If I can't have him I shouldn't live!_

Juni thought about it, not paying attention, as she spaced out, watching everything in her subconscious. The Familiars delicately cut of long strips of flesh and tossed it into one huge pile behind them, using acute precision, as if they were surgeons. They stepped away for Lord Loss to give an inspection on their work. Still-a dead body lay on the bed. Lord Loss put his hands to her head, chest, torso, and stomach. He pushed and quickly removed her hands, as if he had used a deliberator. She gasped in shock from the action and spat blood in one of the Demon's faces, and they snarled angrily and in pain, before falling back and dying as the cloth her brought her in were wrapped around her, while she panted. "Welcome back." Lord Loss greeted, and she looked at him, "I did an emergency procedure to-"

"I didn't ask for your help!" She snapped icily and got to her feet, "Take your fucking generosity and shove it!" Lord Loss chuckled,

"Who said it was generosity? You're indebt to me now. Stay here and recover, you useless thing." Lord Loss ordered and his Familiars all fell to the ground, intestines spilling out, as they were all cut in half, and the Countess walked forward and towards the door. Lord Loss picked her up as if she was a feather and she yelped in surprise, "I see- you've combined with the Human legs- Let me get those out of your way." There was a sickening snaps with a spine-tingling 'splerch'- and the legs were separated from her body. They lay on the floor and some other Familiars grabbed them and ran away with them. He floated over to the bed and dropped the wounded Countess on the sheets, "Stay. Here." Lord Loss left and the Countess growled. Juni stared at the Countess, who pulled the sheets over herself.

"Are…you ok?" Juni asked softly and the Countess looked at her coldly,

"I don't need your pity, Human." she said and Juni went over to her, as she somehow got to sitting. "I- don't need your help."

"I used to be a physiologist…"Juni offered, as if it could give the Countess some reason to keep her around.

"Just leave."

"But- you're in pain-" Juni protested and something feathery touched her hand. Although this made her scared- Juni was too worried to care.

"I'm not in pain. Just…leave" The Countess muttered, and Juni turned and left. She wondered what that thing was that touched her hand. Lord Loss was in his chair, thinking, when she came around. What did he think about her? Did he like her back? He must liker her some way if he helped her.

"She can't walk." Juni said absently, wondering who said it, and lord Loss looked at her,

"She can. Her regeneration abilities are amazing. That wasn't even her real lower half- she likes them more, but she needs to grow up." Lord Loss said, and there was a scoff,

"I'm immature? What was that with ripping off my substitute legs as if you were jealous?" She asked, and Juni was confused. Juni looked down and noticed a long, some-what serpentine tail. When she meant 'somewhat', she meant it looked like a serpents tail but it had strange ligaments on it and looked as if it had been stolen form the dragon from Never Ending Story. It was beautiful thought- an assortment of deep blues and purples and some pink. The ligaments seemed to be some sort of fin…

"I wasn't jealous of your legs! I think that you need to stop depending on Human limbs. So use your natural lower half-" Lord Loss said, stating his opinion, "Stop depending on them for pleasure when you've got enough women to go around!" The Countess hissed, and he flinched, "W-Women! Do you see any around here! I see Juni and you, a childish little brat!" Lord Loss snapped, taking her bait, and the Countess rocked her hips, raising herself up, beckoning him over, "Come and get it, if you can!" Lord Loss hesitated, as she flipped her hair, and batted her eye lashes, "Or do you not throw punches at girls? Daisy-sniffing Pansy-Candy ass." He sat back down in his throne and sighed, "Enough." He said, holding up a hand, and the Countess scoffed and turned her back.

She jumped to the side and avoided a sneak attack from the other Demon Master, and smacked him on the back of the head, "Tag! You're it!" Within a few short minutes, Lord Loss was down for the count and the Countess was the standing winner. Well- she didn't look to happy about the win to Juni. Lord Loss and the Countess vanished into the room he had done the procedure on her in. 5 minutes. 15 minutes. 25. 35. 45. 55. An hour later, Lord Loss exited.

"Juni? How long have you been there?" He asked and Juni smiled innocently,

"Not long." She lied. 'I've only been here and HOUR! What were you doing in there!' She wanted to say, but it just didn't seem right.

"I see. Well, the Countess is resting right now. If you do go in, be quiet." Lord Loss advised, and floated off, "Ah…I forgot to feed my Familiars. Oh well." Juni slipped into the room quietly and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Countess?" Juni asked and the Countess opened her eyes as she lay on her side, "I think- I have a suggested regarding Lord loss-" The Countess sat up and stared at her eagerly. "Maybe- you can try to be sexy?"

"'Sexy'?" the countess repeated, "Is- is this the way you got him?" Juni felt a stab in her heart. She backstabbed her ex-lover's nephew to get on Lord Loss's side.

"Uh- Y-Yes." Juni lied and the Countess raised an eyebrow, "Sex appeal works best."

"I don't know- I tried that when I was younger…it didn't turn out so good…" She responded reluctantly, "It was before the count and I wed, and it was his birthday- so I got my Familiars to wrap me up in some extra large ribbon and I waited on his bed. He was- shocked- and then mad- and then kicked me out of the house." Se said and Juni thought about it. _H-Happy Birthday, Lord Loss! _ Juni shook her head, trying to get rid of the thought. The Countess's ears tilted down. "Something is wrong? Your face is red." Juni thought about something,

"Hey- think of something embarrassing- like being naked in front of Lord Loss." Juni said abruptly, and the Countess thought of it0- a dark indigo flush covering her cheeks, "Oh, hey, your blushing is a different color- that's cool in a creepy way." Juni offered her some clothes, "Here- put these on and get some Human legs and I'll tell you what to do." Juni offered up and the Countess blinked warily, but forced a smile.

~O~O~O~

"I hate Grubbs Grady, I hate the Gradys, I hate Bartholomew, I hate Grubbs Grady," He said as he opened the door to his room and froze, the Countess on his bed, in an apron that was WAY too small. She blushed and he raised an eyebrow, "?"

"Ah- Um- P-please excuse my intrusion in your room, but I wanted to say thank you for helping me and I'll try to make up my worth by doing chores around the mansion in this- um- racy- er- apron." she said, smiling nervously, and Lord Loss nodded,

"Excuse me a moment," He asked and she nodded, as she flew down the Hall, "Juni, was this your idea?" Lord Loss demanded and Juni looked at him,

"Well- the lesser Demons don't know how to clean- how bad can it be?" Juni offered, and he closed his eyes, leaning his head back and opening an eye to glance at the Countess, who hid behind the edge of the door, blushing shyly,

"I…Fine. " He said, and the Countess smiled and clapped her hands- before her apron ripped in half-

"AHHH!" she screamed and used her tail to cover herself up, and Juni glared at her,

"For Christ's Sake, if your boobs weren't so BIG, then the apron wouldn't have ripped in half!" Juni snapped at her and the Countess looked at Lord Loss, "Are my boobs too big?" She asked him and he sighed, "Your boobs are fine, Countess." He sighed and Juni gave her a thumb up and the Countess shakily asked, "Yo-You don't think my hair is to-too long?" "No, I like your long hair." "Y-You don't like my tail, huh? It's hideous, right?" Lord Loss turned to her, "No, your tail is fine." The Countess pulled lightly on her ears, "W-what about my un-demonic elf ears?" "They give character to you, I suppose." "My skin?" "That shade of blue is rather exotic and entrancing." "E-Even my bad habit?" "It's uncalled for because you're nice enough as a demon, but it's a good way to disguise yourself I guess." Juni smiled,

"See, I told you he liked you." Lord Loss whipped around,

"WHAT!" He snapped and the Countess frowned, "You tricked me!" Juni shook her head,

"No, she just asked you questions and you answered. It was a questionnaire, not a trick." Juni responded, "Don't get mad."

"I need a new human body." The Countess added quietly, Lord Loss growling, "Please?"

"No!" The Countess loomed over Lord Loss threateningly and even Juni cramped down, as he turned around.

"Take me to get a new body-" A pair of claws grabbed him and squeezed, a pair of eyes floating close to the high ceiling, the irises and pupils very small but threateningly staring at him.

"Ok, ok!" The threatening atmosphere dispersed and the Countess smiled happily, her own size again. "I hate it when you do that-" She hugged him, and he stopped complaining, and Juni smiled.


	4. Sweet Lullabies That Erase Me Completely

Clocks don't work

Chapter 4

~Sweet Lullabies That Erase Me Completely~

"So- this is a 'Mall'?" The woman asked; her long silver hair past her hips and her diamond eyes searched the place, her long elven ears hidden behind a cute hat. "There's so many of you here! Is this some sort of gathering point for you to mingle?" She asked, her shirt barely holding in her busty chest (cup size: F). She had to pull up her pants every so often to not show anything (pant size: 17), "Are you sure these clothes are fine?" She asked the pale-skinned woman next to her, whose platinum blonde hair was tied back and her pinkish red eyes showed irritation.

"We're only borrowing my clothes until we get you a new body and new clothes." Juni told the Countess, noticing with a hint of jealously, how her biggest shirt, was nothing but a belly shirt to the Countess. The Countess leaved over as she walked, looking at Juni,

"Is something the matter?" She asked, a great majority of her cleavage showing, and Juni looked away, muttering a 'no' as she touched her own flat chest. "Should I get someone with a small chest as yours, Juni?" The Countess asked honestly and Juni groaned,

"If you want…"

"Why not that place over there, Countess? It looks like it has some-what reasonable human clothing." A male voice interjected. Lord Loss just came along to- well, Juni didn't know. He just insisted on coming.

"I want those rocks that the humans hang around their necks to increase their beauty!" She protested, "Not tight fitting clothes that do not come in my size! You'd think I'm fat or something." Lord Loss shook his head.

"Women demand so much." Lord Loss said and she countered with, "All you Men want is to get in our pants and expect it to be free." Lord Loss looked at her, "You maybe different…but the Count wasn't…" Lord Loss leaned towards her and whispered something in her ear and she blinked, as he withdrew, "Y-Yes…you're right. My apologies." What had he told her? They went into a Hot Topic, "What a strange place! How odd." Lord Loss went over to the music player part and handed the Countess a set of headphones,

"Put these on- make sure the big part goes over your ears." He ordered and he obeyed docilely, and he picked something, and left her to float at Juni's side.

"Why did you do that?" Juni asked and he looked at her, "Her facial expressions are amusing." The Countess looked shocked, then listened intently, and slowly bobbed her head up and down. She looked for the CD, "Now, she impulse shops." She went around the store and found various things she liked, and threw everything on the counter and smiled at the man working behind it, pointing to the pile, "I want these in a big bag." They flinched, nodded, and put them in a bag for her, "Oh, and I want one of each of the perfumes and those nice boots over there. Get them for me." He left to do so.

"You shouldn't use magic for such things…" Juni said softly, and ht Countess looked at her,

"Magic? Oh, no, I don't have to." She smiled and he looked at her, putting the requested items in the bag, "Thank you." She said, taking the bag and left the store, lord loss and Juni following.

"Juniper! Humans walk with more stiffness- don't move your hips so much." Lord Loss snapped and she pouted and tried to walk like a human- it came out like a Nazi march. "No, no, you're moving your hips like you've got your tail. Look- you need just enough to walk forward." He instructed and she nodded, walking normally now, "Better." Lord Loss suddenly tripped on something and his face smashed into the floor. "….ngh…" He got back up and she put her nose in the air, finding another store. She stopped and put her hands on her knees looking at a window display as Juni helped him recover. She pointed to a coat with fur on it,

"I want that-! Oh that purse there is cute too! Get that for me, please?" she asked him, before a woman came and approached her, boyfriend in tow,

"I-It's you-! I'm sure it is!" The girl said and the Countess looked at her, "Please- may I have some more time?" The Countess grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Sorry, but all transactions are final. It seems you haven't held up to your side of the bargain as I held up to mine." A large scythe appeared and the Countess slashed the girl in half. She dissolved and the man she was with blinked,

"Where am I?" He asked and the Countess smiled,

"You're here because you were looking for a new girlfriend after your last one dumped you." The Countess said and he smiled, nodded, and walked off. "Hmph…stupid girl." The Countess scoffed and Lord Loss frowned.

"What was that all about?" Juni asked and the Countess went on merrily going from store to store,

"The Countess doesn't work like I do. She makes deals with the desperate and the heart-broken. Not deals- contracts. They sign away their very body and soul to her, and if they can't meet the terms they want with her help, them they're doomed. Hat girl wanted that guy to fall in love with her- so the Countess gave her an illusionary image to make her look prettier to him- but her attitude kept him at bay. I guess its time to see what she's doing…"

~O~ Else Where ~O~

Flashing lights blinked Juni, as they arrived in another part of the Demonata Realm. Girls and guys alike, dances feverishly around them, as if their lives depended on them not stopping for even a second. The music thumped from giant stereos and through the floor, making everything pulsate, as vines of neon energy wrapped around everything. Glo-sticks around their necks there were glo-sticks being spun and tossed between people. It was- a huge rave. "COME ON, GRUBBS GRADY!" The bystanders chanted, "Come on Grady, come on Graddy~~~~~~y!" they continued to dance, Juni tried to move through the people, but A large Demon appeared- half octopus, half lion- grabbed her and carried her off leaving Lord Loss alone as her possible cries of help were drowned out by the music. He looked around, and finally saw the Countess towering over Grubbs, going in for the final strike. "Dance, Grubbs Grady, Dance!" The mindless dancers chanted louder, and Mirrors were the walls of the room. Lord Loss made it through the crowd- glimpsed of the ravers ripping apart demons in a blood-covered passion for the booming music. He made his way through, but couldn't pin-point the location of the Countess or Grubbs. Another song came on, a faster beat than the last.

"Cocaine, ecstasy, dope, crack, THB; ice, speed, calamine, nitrous and heroine; estaline, DLD, mushrooms and LSD; I'm your pro provider- get this shit inside ya'!" The stereos said in a robotic voice, and the pace picked up, the entire floor vibrating with each note. The hypnotized ravers changed their dance beat, "This love, so shady- go Grubbs Grady!" They chanted and Lord Loss looked around, trying to find the Countess and his enemy. Someone slammed into Lord Loss, knocking him to the floor- it was the Grady! He got to his feet, and used magic to down a back flip, as a blade almost slit him in half.

"Hah! You're entertaining! Come on, Grady, fight me- your Defensiveness is useless!" The Ravers helped Lord Loss up, and a group behind Grubbs turned and glared at him, bared, sharp teeth, slits for pupils, and hisses in their throats, as they crouched for attack. The Countess leaned forward, as the Ravers leaned back, and Grubbs put his arms up, white lines in the air, shaped like crescent moons, displayed her slashes. Thousands per minutes- the flesh on his arms was unwounded, but he turned his hands to blades at the claws of the ravers sunk into his flesh from behind. They whined as they were split through the middle, but dissolved, and Grubbs ran away from her. "Ah-! Don't run, Grady!" Lord loss got to his feet and put him between the Countess and his nemesis as Grubbs hit a dead end, "L-Lord Loss…"

"Keep your hands off of him, Countess." Lord Loss stated sternly, "He's mine."

"But- let's kill him together-"

"I'll kill him myself! I'm not going to let you kil l him before I can!" Lord Loss snarled, and she narrowed her eyes, and the other Demon Master opened a portal, "Get out of here, Grubitsch, I've got her." Grubbs hesitated, moving towards the portal, but she made one more move to slice him-

Lord Loss swooped in and caught the blade with all eight of his hands, struggling to push it back, but even his magic couldn't make it melt. Her eyes swirled and she glared at Grubbs, before looking at Lord Loss, as Grubbs edged closer to the portal,

"Enough, Juniper!" Lord Loss snapped and she looked at him, half-there, and half- given over to her rage. "Calm down-" She withdrew as Grubbs vanished into the portal, holding her head, "Get a hold of yourself." Juni appeared as the portal closed, and the Countess gritted her teeth, her tail swishing back and forth violently, slamming into the ground viciously. "Juni, stay there." The Countess shook her head, putting her hands on the ground and groaning in pain. "Juniper-" She looked at him and gives him a devilish sneer, before grabbing his arms and digging her nails into his flesh, "J-Juniper-!"

"You stole away my entertainment! Pay me back in full, Lord Loss!" She yelled, her eyes clouded with something he had never seen before. Juni whimpered, "Master!", Lord Loss put his free hands on the Countess's arms- but pulled them back, as small razors appeared in her skin.

"Stop this foolishness, Juniper!" Lord Loss snapped, and she glared at him, as he jolted, "My-"

"I gave you some of your abilities- now I'm recalling them. You should know better than to take the prey of another stronger than you." She said icily, and her tail wrapped around him- constricting, taking the air from his lungs. "I'll kill you." She loomed over him, the air around her twisting and turning with her power slowly growing and Lord Loss's slowly fading, "Your body will be no more. When I'm done with you, your minions will give you no respect and you will forever be alone, almost on the verge of being able to open a portal, or cross between worlds, but never being able to have enough. How do you think that will feel?" Juni was scared, and sent some magic towards the Countess, but Faith intercepted and it bounced off his shadow-hidden skin, like a small rubber toy off a trampoline. Faith growled and crouched, the Ravers turning on Juni. Lord Loss looked at Juni.

"Juni-! Hit the Countess." He ordered and she hesitated. "Do it!" Juni looked at Faith, who looked back, and mad a very small opening for her, but made it look as if he was adjusting his footing, as the Ravers hissed and spat at her. She ran through the opening, and tackled the Countess, who noticed the attack at the last moment. The Countess removed herself from Lord Loss, and caught the girl, but fell back in the process, quickly regaining her balance. Faith ripped open a portal, ass the mirrors shattered and the ravers screamed in agony, as they burned in dark colored flames. Juni assisted Lord Loss over to the portal and the vanished as well. The Countess's purchases were sucked into the portal as it closed.

~O~O~O~

"I- did WHAT?" The Countess exclaimed, after Juni explained what happened. "I don't remember a thing! I remember that cute dress in the window, on the mannequin…and…it's all fuzzy…but I remember being so mad that I went of the edge. I felt- stronger- like the universes were mine and mine alone- but something hit me and I just blacked out. OH, I'm so sorry, Lord Loss!" She sad sadly, and he nodded, "J-Juni said, I took something from you- if you can recall it, then, I'll give it back, ok?" Lord Loss thought about it,

"The ability to cross worlds without a portal and almost all of my power." She blinked at his response, but nodded,

"I see- please allow me to give them back." Juni was confused.

"Wait- you can cross over without a portal?" Juni asked and the Countess nodded,

"Of course. I've always been able to. I got bored, so, I have Lord Loss half of my ability- he can only be summoned, but, I can cross at will. I can summon people from your world too, but-" she blushed and shook her head, "My home is so dirty- I'd have to clean before I invite anyone- and on top of that, who would I invite? All the humans I was fond of, died long ago." She said, and patted the sheets next to her as she lay in her own bed, "Shall we begin?" Lord Loss went over to the bed and sat down, and she rested her forehead against his, "Please relax and take a deep breath." He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and exhaled, and she followed at the same time. After repeating the process for a few minutes, he withdrew, "Feel better?"

"Yes. Thank you." Juni was curious. 'I have to admit- I always feel very relaxed after you do something like that. You should do it more often for me." Lord Loss requested and she laughed a little,

"Maybe. Would your human like to try it as well? I could transfer some of my bust over to her." The countess said and Lord Loss thought about it,

"No, I don't want her to look like a cow like you do." Lord Loss said bluntly and the Countess jolted, "Just clear her mind. Juni- over here now." Lord loss said, gesturing to his seat as he got up. The Countess put her right thumb to Juni's forehead, and a left thumb to her sternum,

"Close your eyes. Think of something comforting- like a river or something." The Countess instructed, and Juni glanced at Lord Loss unsurely, you have nothing I could ever want…and you will take nothing I have. I used a different technique for Lord Loss, but for you, I will do this." Juni closed her eyes and envisioned a waterfall. A pair of dark eyes hung in Juni's thought. They stayed closed. All of the problems- the thoughts of unwariness, anxiety, and anger, vanished. The illusion faded as did the already transparent eyes. "Alright, all done." She blinked, "you seem to have a lot of problems with me regarding Lord Loss. " The Countess asked, "Do you wish to kill me?" Juni hesitated, and Lord Loss cut in,

"I don't think she meant anything about it, Juniper." Lord Loss said, and the Countess softened, nodding, and sat there. Lord Loss laid his head on her lap and closed his eyes. "By the way, your purchases from the human mall are in my room."

"Was your plan to lure me into your room with my bags, Lord Loss?" She laughed and he flinched, eyes opening, "Just kidding. Ok, I'll get them later." He relaxed once more. The Countess looked at Juni, who stood there watching the whole spectacle in horror. She was stealing him! The witch was coaxing Lord Loss away from her! Bitch, skank, whore, cum guzzling gutter slut, prostitute, slut-! "Don't you have something to do, Girl?" She was gong to coax him into something Juni would regret not doing for the rest of her life! Unfortunately, she did have something to do, so she turned and left hastily. "Lord Loss, I believe she thinks I'm going to steal you away from her- the Human Girl I mean." The Countess voiced and Lord Loss listened, "I also feel as if your life has turned into one of their stupid earthy 'Soap Opera's. It's sad, really, but not exciting." He looked at her,

"I believe I've seen one of those. What role would I play?"

"The asshole trying to play with every girl's hearts. Your Human would be the main girl, and I suppose I'd be the troublesome ex-girlfriend. I wonder where your familiars and Grubbs Grady would be. "He groaned,

"Don't ruin the mood." He groaned once more, covering his face, "I don't want to hear that name-" "What, Grubbs Grady?" The Countess asked innocently, "YES! Enough." "The Grady family must cheat, considering they've all beaten you." "Not another word, Juniper- let's just savor this moment of peace and quiet-" "Grubistch is such an odd name- I wouldn't name my children that. Maybe something like- Ramon or DERVISH." He glared at her and she smirked, "I'm sorry- I'm just rambling on about nothing." She smiled at him "Close your eyes,"

"No, I know how this works, Juniper." Lord Loss refused and she blinked in surprise, "The last time you were here and pulled this, I couldn't find you for generations! You vanished. I'm staying awake."

"We're both far too old to act like children, my friend." She responds gently, no malice, no anger, brushing the comment off. "We live too long, hold too many the-filled grudges, have too many things to do, for either of us to simply up and vanish." He closed his eyes, as a sweet but mysterious voice filled his ears with an eerie but calming lullaby. When he awoke, it would be in his own bed. No one next to him aside from Juni and his Familiars. As she sang, every thought, every memory of the Countess and her Familiars and the past few days, were erased and replaced. The trip to the shopping mall with the Countess? Replaced by Grubbs Grady accidentally summoning the Demon Master and sending him back with vivid and detailed fight. The party? Still existed but was held by another Demon Master. Faith? Erased. Her own home and Familiars? Dissolved. The Countess was nothing more than the late Count's sickly wife, who had died before the Count had. False images of her. Long hair of jet, dark green eyes that held obedience and hatred. Juniper erased herself from his mind, and stopped singing when she was done and he was deep in sleep. She kissed his forehead as he slept and rested hers against it. She would miss him very much- but she had to leave.

She sat up and laid her left cheek on her left shoulder, as a memory she would forever hold dear, entered her mind.

"_Hey- you're the new Demonata, right? The new elite?" The girl looked up at the stranger and nodded slightly, "You look like a human kinda- if it wasn't for your ugly tail and ears, I'd think you were a human, from a distance you looked like one. Are you even strong?" She looked down and away, ashamed, They reached over, "But- I really like your hair." She looked back as the stranger played with it. "I haven't seen hair this color before. It's pretty. I like how long it is too." She blushed heavily, as they pulled the strand of her long hair to their lips and smiled, "I like your long silver hair…I'm sure you're not half bad either." They kissed her hair that they held in their hands, "I'm Lord Loss." She blushed shyly and stammered,_

"_J…Ju…Juniper…" _

"_Well, Juniper, if anyone ruins your hair, tell me, ok? I'll kill them." Lord Loss smirked and she blushed and nodded._


	5. The Liar, The Culprit, and The Victim

Clocks don't Work

Chapter 5

~The Liar, the Culprit, and the Victim ~

"Who?" Lord Loss asked, when his albino assistant asked him if the Countess was still sleeping.

"The Countess of Hatred and Misery?" Juni repeated, and Lord Loss thought about it, "Big, F cup cow utters for boobs, blue skin, long ears? Wears black dresses that hug her curves with long, silver hair?" He shook his head, "Eyes the color of diamonds?"

"No- I think you're mistaken. The Countess died a long time ago- before the count died. She had black hair and dark green eyes." Lord Loss corrected, "She was docile and always very angry." Juni frowned. The Familiars didn't know who she spoke of, and she tried to convince her Master to visit the Countess's house, and he looked at her as if she was insane.

"Why waste my energy to go to some place that hasn't been inhabited for millennia?" He questioned, and they Juni thought of it. The ability to cross universes on a whim!

"The Countess gave you the ability and took it away from you, then gave it back!" Juni exclaimed, "Master, where did you get the ability to cross universes from?" He thought about it,

"A woman with long, beautiful silver hair. She was killed right after though- it seems like she died in the process, as I recall." He answered honestly, and Juni was disheartened. "She was very good in the bedroom." Juni flinched, "So sad she died. I could have made use of her."

"You had sex with her?" Juni asked, half in jealousy, half amazed.

"She was manipulative and very attractive. It was her idea, and I was honored to oblige." He responded coolly, and shrugged, "I regret letting her get away."

"You're such a gentleman, Master." Juni said sarcastically, and he looked at her, "Do you remember anything else about the girl?" Jun asked and he thought about it,

"A name? I can't recall it…how odd." He said and sighed.

_~ A few weeks later ~_

Another summoning by a desperate human for help from Juni's Master. Juni sighed. This person assumed that, real demons at her night club would bring more customers. Lord Loss shrugged and accepted lightly, opening a portal and letting a few of his minions to mingle with the people dancing. Juni was allowed some time to dance as well, while Lord Loss was against the wall like a wallflower. "How do you enjoy my Rave?" A dark voice whispered in Juni's ear and she jumped, looking around. People in close proximity- no one out of the-

_Silver hair and eyes._

Juni froze, as the people danced, making a small path, revealing the Countess. She wore human skin and a tube top with pants that hugged her thighs, and she smirked. She was saying something… what? Juni read her lips. Do. You. Look. Forward. To. Dying. That's what she mouthed, but what did she mean? The Countess vanished and a cold hand grabbed Juni's wrist, and pulled her out of the crowd. "Come." Lord Loss said and pulled her into a dark corner of the club, as someone stood on the railing to keep people from falling over, on the second store. The Countess of Hatred. She stared at them, knowing they were thee- two cloaked demons stood on the floor, either side of her. The Demons looked at her for orders. A portal opened behind her. As the music boomed and the lights flashed violently, neon spot lights searching the dance floor, and glow sticks shone, the Countess turned her back to it all and left with her two attendants. Lord Loss released Juni, who looked at the portal as it closed. Had she really just turned away? Juni left the building, and found the Countess in the alleyway behind it, her attendants at her side. They loomed closely, as if they were her bodyguards and she was a celebrity.

"Get a portal ready, Hallow." The one on her left nodded, before they two of them whipped around and stared at Juni. They had no eyes- just empty, almond-shaped eye sockets. No light within them. Their cloaks wrapped around their bodies like a security blanket.

"Why did you leave?" Juni yelled at her, and the Countess turned around and looked at her. "He- forgot everything about you."

"Do you think that's something I didn't want to happen?" The Countess questioned, a hand on her hip, long, silver hair over one shoulder, her diamond eyes glittering in the darkness of the alley. "I erased all the memories he had that involved me. He has you. What would he need me for?" The Countess asked, and the two cloaked demons drifted closer to her, floating above the ground, staring at Juni hollowly, caring not for her, but interested in something else. The conversation maybe? They just- stared. They gave her attention as if she had to be watched every moment. The Countess put a hand on either of their cloaks- in the middle of what could be assumed as their chests, and then they stared at her. "Enough, boys. Give her some space to speak."

"Why would you erase his memories? He said that- you died long ago before the Count-" Juni stammered and she was emotionless. The gloomy attendants looked at her for guidance, and she looked at them,

"I told you- open a portal. How dare you two make me repeat myself." she said and they flinched, before they went behind her and worked on something, but the Countess sighed, "You're in something bigger than you, Girl." Juni was pissed by this, and it set her off,

"You treat me like a child! I'm not a kid!" Juni snapped, and the Countess was unfazed by her outburst.

"So- are you cracking?" Juni hesitated at the countess's words, "I'm getting out of the way so you can have Lord Loss all to herself- I'm selfless, right? I'm not selfish." Juni went over to the Countess, and slapped her across the face. Her attendants flinched to offense, but the Countess sneered, and they cackled, before continuing what they were doing. The Countess's hand twitched and she reached over, grabbing Juni's throat. Juni struggled, feeling as if she was on top of the world, as she violently pushed her magic into the Countess- but the Countess was unfazed- and her grip tightened around Juni's windpipe. She tossed Juni aside and went back into the building, Juni getting to her feet as the music changed and shook the building. Jun went inside, the dancers having stopped, and the Countess on the stage, back up dancers in a line behind her, hands on their hips and her back to the crowd.

"_Baby, I love you…but some other girl is next to you right now." _The voice was the Countess's, and her hair was up now, wearing a different change of clothes, _"If you ever get tired of that girl, you can always come back to me- but don't you dare come back in one piece, honey."_ She whipped around, and the dancers did a hip-hop styled dance, as she stood on the stage, smirking, rocking her hips. _"I like to put some assembly into what I own, so come home in pieces, but don't you dare come back in one piece. I want your tears, I want your heart break, but I don't want you're passiveness. Let me be that naughty nuuueerrrssse!" _She pointed out to the crowd, and they jumped in excitement, but Lord Loss's demons that were mixed in, cowered. _"Let me be your naughty nurse, baby BOYYYY! You can home to my arms any time, but make sure you're done with her_

_And you're crying on meeee!"_ Lord Loss looked at her, puzzled, and Juni slipped over to stand beside him. She stepped to the left, and then to the right, singing passionately, but the words held no strings and weren't forced at all. Juni looked over at Lord Loss, who looked entranced, _"This is my gift to you, the last gift I've give to you; my love is all you need, if I was desperate I'd beg and plead for youuuuu to come home. Ever since that day I saw you, I've never been the same, but now, I go back a couple few, to the time before you. I will be revive, like the phoenix, I will be revived and I will back as myself, not your love-stuck, love-sick little girl! I've changed for you, but you take no notice, what so ever, but please know I love you, no matter where you are and no matter where I am." _ Lord Loss blinked,

"What a sad song. I wonder who it's for." Lord Loss murmured, and the Countess whipped her hair, and looked directly at Lord Loss,

"_If I sing a song, just for you, what ever would you do? Would you stare or would you walk away, and leave me all alone? What's your move, honey? Pour your soul to me, Honey, pour your soul out! Lord Loss can give you deals and I can give you hope, but since we're demons, we're once in the same, eh? Honey please come home!" _The song ended and she winked, before tossing the microphone to someone else, and leaving. Her gloom attendants had opened a small window, and waited patiently, keeping it open. They perked at her arrival, "Let's go…Hallow…Eve…" She murmured and they looked at her curiously, and she smiled, "I'm…happy…I jus poured out my soul, if front of the one I love." She giggled and blushed, and they chuckled, before she went through the window and they followed. Lord Loss noticed this from the shadows, and looked away.

_~O~O~O~_

"Yes. No. It's urgent. What are you saying?" Lord Loss snapped into a crystal orb that floated in the air in front of him, "I'll be coming by later today- I wont be staying a whole night, but make sure she knows. I won't discuss this matter with you, only her." The orb popped like a bubble as Juni came in. "We're leaving shortly. Abrupt but necessary."

"I just woke up though…" Juni murmured and he waved off her comment,

"If we are going to make an army of demons, I'm afraid I must get demons. We are going to ask the Demon Mother, for such demons."

"'Demon Mother'?" Juni asked and he nodded,

"She is mother to us all. For a comparison, you are to your God as we are to the Demon Mother. We live with her until we are old enough to fend for ourselves, and we're dropped in an empty universe of our own."

"She sounds horrible." Juni murmured and Lord Loss went to his room, returning with a rather nice, black cloak. "Where was that thing?" He looked at her, putting it on,

"In my room. It's my nice cloak." He said simply, "You should wear something nice too. Just to be safe." Juni looked at her clothes, "I think I have something." Lord loss murmured and went back to his room, before offering her a bundle, "Wear this- I think you'll be fine if you do." Juni took it and nodded, going to her room to change. It was a ball room dress. Where had he gotten this? She self-consciously slipped into it, and fixed her chest, before stepping out of the room,

"Ah, it looks nice on you." Lord Loss clapped, and Juni frowned, wondering who had ever gotten it for. "Come, let's go."

~O~ Home of the Demon Mother, the Eternal Citadel ~O~

Lord Loss and Juni arrived, Lord Loss keeping a reassuring hand on Juni's shoulder. "Welcome, Lord Loss. Mother is resting- please make use of her library, though." A goat-headed demon said, dressed in a butler's clothes, bowing to him. Lord Loss floated to Juni's right and a door was opened for the both of them, and shut behind them. Juni was amazed. Bookshelves that went from the ground to the vaulted ceiling, five stories up, as far as she could see, either way. There were books, floating around from the shelves to the hands of other demons, and leaving places where they had been abandoned, to their original positions. There were other floors- demons walked along the paths, looking at the shelves, and tables were everywhere, as well as chairs with small tables next to them. Lord Loss looked along the shelves, "Hm…what to read today…" He muttered to himself, gliding close to a shelf, "Oh- That one will do." a book lifted from the shelf and flew to his hand, and he grabbed it, walking off. The Countess sat at a table as well- reading a book. Juni stiffened slightly, as Lord Loss sat down, "Thank you for that little amnesia lesson the other day." Lord Loss said, and she turned another page in her book, that lies on the table, as she reads.

"I hope that will teach you not to get stupid anymore." She responded coolly, and took more interest in the book than anything around her. "There's a snitch in our midst- I am to be your attorney."

"Attorney? What for?" Lord Loss hissed, and she looked at him,

"You were accused of some really Taboo things." The Countess said calmly, "I appointed myself as your attorney because they said you'd be doomed without one, and no one else would volunteer."

"That's pleasant." Lord Loss said, shaking his head, and Juni sat next to him, having troubled with sitting down. The Countess looked up,

"Sit sideways, girl, like you're riding a horse. It's a lot more comfortable and not too much of a hassle." The Countess advised, looking over at Lord Loss, "I have a feeling- I know who accused, you, but I will try and defend your case." The Countess said,

"Yes, well, I am not looking forward to being here- then again; all Demons of high caliber were called to come. It must be serious if so." The Countess said, and something leaned over both of Juni's shoulders,

"Mistressssss….." Juni jolted, and the two shadows stood up behind her. The gloomy attendants! "The Mother has called this discussion to order." One of them purred; the two gliding around the table to the table, one pulling out a large necklace and putting it around the Countess's neck, as the other played with her hair and put it up. The Countess stood and looked Juni over once,

"Lord Loss, are you REALLY going to make her wear such a thing?" The countess asked and he frowned, "Tell you what- I have something more modern- if you let me have that dress she's wearing, I'll let her wear and keep the spare dress I have." She offered and one of her assistants showed off a beautiful white evening dress. Juni was amazed and Lord Loss thought about it,

"Fine, I guess." Lord Loss agreed and the assistants loomed over her, before there was darkness, and when it vanished, she was wearing the new dress. The assistants were at the Countess's side once more, and she walked off, the assistants floating beside her. Lord Loss got up and Juni hesitated before following her Master. An archway opened up and the Countess went to the right ass Lord Loss went to the left and went to an open balcony, and the Countess went to a balcony that was open close to her. The Attendants summoned up a large, plush, pillow-like chair, and she sat/ stood against it, relaxing. In other balconies, going up slowly in a slant upwards, there were other balconies containing other Demon Masters and two attendants of their own. In the one to the Countess's left, there was a large demon of shadow with an octopus's head, and the large body of- something with fore limbs, but it was sitting like a cat or dog. It looked at her and said something in gibberish, before she held out her hand to it, "The restraining order is still in effect, asshole." She responded, "Don't even THINK about offering me your 'Unwordly Goods', because I'm not interested." The Demon lowered its head and slinked closer, gibbering to her- as if trying to convince her. Juni looked up, a large throne a story or so above where Lord Loss and herself, as well as the Countess, were. A large, black throne resided on a balcony that went out farther than the others, towards the center of the abyss below the balconies. A small person went to the throne chair, and pulled themselves into it. A child?

"Silence your fighting, Children." A voice, toned with a demon's and a child's- as if they were both speaking as one- said from the child's mouth. They stopped fighting and everyone bowed to the Child. Was this- the Demon Mother? Juni bowed as well, and when they all rose, so did she. "Lord Loss…" Lord Loss looked up at attention, "You have been accused of Reanimation, Soul Reaping, and Reviving a dead body, in addition to the charges of having an affair with a Human, despite you knowing it's Taboo because of your position." The Child spoke and the Countess jolted.

"M-Mother, please, allow me to defend him by listing deeds he has done to better our existence-" The countess begged, and the Child held up a hand,

"You will NOT! Though you self-volunteered to save him, Lord Loss has fallen too far for helping." The Demon Mother said clearly, and Lord Loss floated back slightly, gritting his teeth, "Lord Loss, you have always been one of my favorite children, but I cannot over look the fact that you have gone against me and used such Forbidden Magic. Do you dare betray me? Can you look me in the eyes and tell me, honestly, with ever micro fiber in your being, that you have not committed such treacherous crimes?" They asked and Lord Loss looked away, "Yet, you bring the human you did such things for, to my home? In front of your Kin?"

"…Mother…Allow me the time to defend myself…" Lord Loss asked and she shook he head,

"I want you to slaughter the girl in front of us all." Lord Loss looked up, surprised, "Show us she means nothing to you- that this was all just a foolish mistake." Lord Loss glanced at Juni and she stared back at him. Juni looked away and clasped her hands in silence. Hopefully- he would make it quick.

"MOTHER, I DID IT!" Everyone looked at the Countess, who stood firm, "I made it seem as if Lord Loss did all of those things- but I am the criminal here. Please, punish me for my reckless abandonment of your rules." The Countess said, bowing deeply, and Juni stared at her in shock, and Lord Loss seemed confused,

"Juniper, is this true?" The Child asked, and the others murmured to themselves, "Why would you do such a thing?"

"I…my daughter. I wanted to see her again. But- I accidentally reaped the human girl's soul by accident instead of my daughters- so I gave her to Lord Loss for a maid." The Countess said, and two guards appeared next to her,

"A sad plight about your daughter, but this does not justify your actions, Take her away. Court is excused." The guards grabbed her arms and walked her off, the Shadow creature watching, and the others exited, Lord Loss staying where he was. The child came down and approached the balcony, "Lord Loss, come with me." Lord Loss bowed and followed the child, and Juni followed as well. The hallways twisted and curved, as the Child walked along them, changing paths from here to there, before a door opened and they were in another library. There was silence between them, but then she pulled down a book, "Penny for your thoughts, my son?" The child asked, opening the book, and Lord Loss floated over to hover beside the child,

"I was curious as to what would become of the countess's Familiars, and herself." Lord loss pried gently, and the child nodded,

"Tyranny brings Vanity, my Son, remember that." Lord Loss nodded, "I don't know of her Familiars, but she WILL be punished for disobeying me." The child said simply, turning on Lord Loss, "You shouldn't let your Kin take the blame for something you did yourself." Lord Loss lowered his gaze slightly, "I will leave her fate in your hands, Son, and so you will learn the lesson here." Lord Loss blinked, as the child walked off.


	6. I Shouldered the Blame for you

Clocks don't work

Chapter 6

I Shouldered the Blame for you.

"How is it that you take the blame, yet I still get in trouble?" Lord Loss asked the Countess, who said nothing. Lord Loss was between Juni and the cell that the Countess sat in. Her attendants were baring their teeth at Lord Loss, having forced their way into the dungeon, and started reaching for her frantically, as if she was their life support and they were dying. Juni had almost been swiped in their frenzy, but they were wary of her and tried to contain their desperation. The Countess was against the back wall of the cell, a metal collar attacked directly to the wall, held her against it, the metal biting into her skin. Her ankles were shackled as well as her wrists shacked to wrist holds in the wall, holding them out as far outwards as they would go. "Now…what to do with you?" The attendants snarled at him threateningly, their cloaks rising,

"Hallow, Eve! Enough!" The Countess ordered, and they stood up, looking at her warily, "I may be chained down, but my wrath can still touch you." They stepped away from the bars and out of Lord Loss's line of view into it. "Please- take your time in punishing me." The Countess said politely, and lowered her head, closing her eyes. "I will take anything you dish out." Lord Loss thought about it, the attendants kneeling in front of the cage, and laying their foreheads on the bars. One tried to nibble on the bars, but their master told them to dismiss the action and idea from their head. She waited patiently for whatever he'd come up with, and he continued to take his time. Juni noticed that the skin on her right hand was beginning to peel away. Eve grunted something to the Countess, and she glanced over at her hand, "True. This skin is old…I need a new skin." She murmured, "Go collect my dues whole I'm in here." They stood and started shivering. They weren't shivering- they were shaking with laughter, as they silently cackled and swayed into mist and vanished. The flesh peeled from her left hand began to peel away instead of muscle; it revealed sharpened nails- scaled skin. The claws curled inward into a fist and flexed. The scales were the same color as the flesh she wore, but darker in some places than others. Nothing about her face changed.

"I've decided." Lord Loss spoke, and she looked up, "You will not be able to wear any human skin for 5 human days." Her expression stayed the same,

"Fine then." She answered, and word glowed on her skin, wrapping around her, before they burned themselves past the peeling away flesh and she cringed. "Mmmng!" The words remained, burned in her real flesh, glowing white, "Anything else?"

"Hm…don't do something stupid again." Lord Loss ordered and the metal withholds released her, and the shackles shattered. She fell to the ground, her hands on the cold floor, supporting her, as her silver hair made a masking drape of anything beyond it. Lord Loss turned from her, but Juni stared on, and the Countess's vile henchmen snarled and reached for her, whimpering and whining as well. Lord Loss caught Juni's elbow, "We mustn't be rude and linger." Lord Loss told her, and Juni allowed him to pull her away from the cage. The small child was awaiting them. The Demon Mother.

"What did you decide on, my child?" The Demon Mother asked and Lord Loss revealed the punishment he had given her. "Her obsession with their skin has been long known, maybe this will change her." Juni looked back, seeing the two henchmen guard her as she left quietly. The Countess didn't even look back, her henchmen making sure of that, as they vanished from sight. "Well, the Countess always did have a way of defending people against unjust scrutiny." The Demon Mother finished, and Juni looked at her. "I do speak of you, Human girl- or was your name 'Juni'?" Juni stiffened, "Lord Loss, you've never done this before- played with them, yes, but take one into your home and keep them next to you? A crime the Countess wouldn't be foolish enough to do." Lord Loss frowned, "And you pick her to forever be beside you? You have guts, my son, to go against me. I hope you learn your consequences." She leaned over and touched Juni's neck, before walking off. Lord Loss checked Juni, before taking her hand and following the Demon Mother, and speaking in a gibberish-like language that was a series of clicking and chirping, as well as snapping. The Demon Mother whipped around, and snapped something, before walking off.

( Countess's Home )

"She's not here?" Lord Loss repeated Hallow and Eve nodding. "Where did she go?" They shrugged, attempting to shut the door, but he grabbed it and shoved it open, sending them back a few feet, letting Juni in first before entering himself. "This is outrageous. She should be here!" Hallow and Eve looked at each other, before looking at him and staying still.

"Intrusion?" Spick asked, appearing, Span next to him, grinning, "Lord Loss."

"Where is your creator?" Lord Loss demanded, and they chuckled,

"Not here." They said at simultaneously. "Not telling." They whimpered as they were choked, Lord Loss glaring at them.

"You will tell me NOW!"

"What the hell is going on here?" The looked back, the countess in the doorway, five furry, inhuman beasts, on leashed, around her. They growled and spat angrily at the scene, "Now hush." she ordered, her hair pinned up. She looked the same, but her skin was reptilian and she looked like the Medusa from Greek mythology, aside from her eyes and long, silver hair. "Why are you in my house, Lord Loss?"

"I was looking for you."

"Leave a note, don't bust down my door. Besides, I only went to the Human world to collect my contractures, and shop." She said simply, slithering in and setting the various colored bags down on the chair, and the werewolves barked and yipped happily. She set the leashes in the air, shutting the door, before grabbing them again.

"Those are humans infected with lycanthropy." Lord Loss said obviously, and she smiled, "What's going on?"

"I liked them- a human gave them to be as a gift. Aren't they cute? Adorable little GRADYS." She sneered evilly, and they barked and yipped, jumping up and licking her like happy puppies. "I input toilet training and proper dog manners into their minds." She pet Spick and Span, running her talons through Hallow and Eve's hair, scratching their ears and they growled a purr. "Leave my house, please. I shut the door and told my familiars not to let anyone in while I was gone." Lord Loss stared at her,

"I came to ask why and apologize-"

"Take your apology and shove it up your ass, I don't want it. Demons are incapable of sincerity and what's done has been done." She said, pulling out stylish dresses that weren't in her size, Juni noticed. Juni held more interest in the color and pattern of her scales. Silvery, fish-like scales where purple tints of lavender slept, and awoke in the light. The pattern on her scales was it the design of a cobra, but some of her scales were black and made spade designs. "Look, I got things for Juni- to let her dress up for you- as a sign of 'no harm, no foul' as the humans say." Lord Loss gave away and forfeits his position of trying to win her over with words, as she gave some of the bags to Juni. They were heavy- 20 pounds each, packed tightly in the packages. "Now leave, please." They did so- but Lord Loss shut the door behind Juni, leaving her outside, and talked to the Countess privately, then opened the door and left the mansion. The Countess opened the door and watched them leave. Juni looked back, still amazed.

If this was her real, demonic form, then why did she always take a human form? Why wear human skin? The Countess's arms were folded over her chest as her pulled a shawl around her shoulders, finally turning and slithering back into her home. Ten of thousands of eyes stared back at Juni before the door was shut with a shallow thump.

~O~O~O~

"The Countess's familiar population is much smaller than mine or the other Demonata." Juni observed, reading books and reports that were in her Master's study. He glanced back,

"Which book do you read this from?" Lord Loss asked, and Juni checked the title on the spine, "Oh, that one. It's older. She has more now, but she experiments and creates stronger ones. She had few, but they're quite powerful. Faith is the strongest yet, as it seems." He looked over some maps, "But werewolves, my goodness, she's never taken an interest in them before." Juni looked over,

Juni blinked, flashes of the future flickered in her mind, and she frowned deeply, worried. Her vision was stained with blood, and the Countess stood over her as her vision darkened. She needed more information about the Countess, if she was to avoid her own foreseen death.

"How strong is the Countess?" Juni asked her Master, who thought about it,

"I've fought her once- before I met you. Not over a thing, but I thought the same question you asked. She was far stronger than I, not using a single familiar, and she held no seriousness what so ever." Lord Loss mused openly, "She didn't want to fight, actually, and I forced it on her."

"…Did you win?"

"The only thing I learned is to not be so hasty to throw myself into useless battles unless my odds are good. I lost as quickly as she had struck back." He answered bluntly, "Why the questions?"

"…I think we will have to fight her, one day soon." Juni answered, Lord Loss looking up.

"A vision of yours? Then I shall be fighting a war I cannot win." Lord Loss said, shaking his head,

"Yes- maybe if you knew something about her, you could black mail her into submission when the time comes?"

"Submission is something she doesn't take kindly to." Lord Loss remarked, "Play chess with meeeeeeeee!"

"But Master, why don't you play with the Countess?"

"She has little interest in chess and doesn't play well at all! Where are those annoying, arrogant Gradys when you need them!" He growled in frustration, a soft rapping on the main doors. "He floated over to the doors and threw it open, "WHAT!" He thundered, the Countess jumped in shock from the abrupt yell, and he calmed down. "Oh, Countess, I'm sorry."

"A…A…A-Another time, then, another time." she sputtered, nervous and shocked, "I see I've annoyed you and interrupted you." Juni watched quietly, as the Countess turned.

"Don't leave without sharing why you came." Lord Loss said gently, trying to make up for his explosion, and she relaxed, holding up a book.

"I-I discovered this book in a human book store, bought it on impulse, and read it. I believe I have some grasp of the game, so please have a match with me." The Countess asked, Juni catching a glimpse of the book the Countess held up to her Master. _Chess: for Dummies. _Juni wanted to laugh- until Lord Loss welcomed her in openly and with excitement.

"We'll use this board- the glass is better on the hands." He said, and pulled out a chair for her. She sat down and he pushed the chair in, taking his own seat. "Do you think you can do better this time?" It was an insult, but she smiled brightly,

"I will definitely try my best to provide you with the best game. I've studied this book over and over for hours to make sure I memorized every word." She said proudly, and they played. After a few hours, the Countess took a victory, and Lord Loss laughed, and she smiled and clapped,

"What a game! You've improved very much." He said, and she stood, telling him something in their language. "Indeed. I will learn how to play your game better because of this." The Countess raised herself out of the seat, and glanced warily at the door. Something was knocking against it hard enough to splinter the wood.

"I must leave now- excuse me." The Countess said, a portal opening, and she slipped in, as it closed behind her, Lord Loss going to the door. He opened it and a mass of shadowy wisps and glowing eyes was at the door step.

"Hello." Lord Loss greeted, and the Shadow groaned in a dark language that Juni couldn't understand, as she stood next to her Master. "The Countess? No, she's not here. Maybe you can try her Realm?" It grunted. "I see. That must be troublesome." It spoke for a long moment, and Lord Loss grinned happily. "Destruction of the Human Race, you say? Yes, I'd very much enjoy that. You have our cooperation. I'll try and get a hold of the Countess." He shut the door and looked at Juni. "It promises to kill all humans for our cooperation in its cause." Juni nodded, happily, but not too sure about it.

"And the Countess?"

"The Shadow can't get into her domain, so we will go to convince her." Lord Loss purred, and Juni frowned at how easily he had been convinced.

"And you will turn on her? When she took the blame of the Demon Mother as her own to save you?" Juni asked, and Lord Loss looked at her thoughtfully.

"The Countess is clever. We're going over to make sure she stays neutral. As long as she does, then we can take refuge with her." He said, and Juni realized what he was saying.

"Is she's neutral, she'll give us shelter?"

"It's what she's done for hundred of thousands of years. She doesn't have much confidence in her strength, so she opens her home up." He answered, opening a portal, "Come, my sweet, let's go." Juni nodded and followed him.

~O~ Realm of the Demonata, The Countess of Misery ~O~

The doors were cracked open, the heavy organic material used for them, worn and burnt here and there, making them weak. "What the hell happened here?" Juni yelled in surprise. They went into the house. Familiars lay on the floor in their own blood, dead. The Countess, so where in sight, only the bodies of her fallen familiars.

"COUNTESS!" Lord Loss called, looking around as he called louder, Juni going down one of the wings. Glass littered the hallway, the windows along this wing to look in on experiments, all broken, blood splattered on the walls, and here and there. Not a single experiment lingered in this lavishly decorated graveyard. Not a single living one, anyways. "She's not here, and she's not in her bedroom either." Lord Loss voiced, floating next to Juni, looking into the once inhabited cells. "The creatures broke out."

"Did they do all this damage?" Juni asked, as they entered the lounge. The books were scattered on the floor, pages ripped out, the chess board in the corner, shattered into pieces, yellow blood sliding slowly down the windows and velvet curtains. Demon blood was everywhere, and many of the familiars were barely nothing more than flesh ripped from carcasses and ribs showed as well as other bones. The smell over took Juni's nostrils and she covered her nose, "This is-!"

"Genocide. She was obviously attacked." Lord Loss finished, looking at a wall where something was written in neon green blood. "'my allies lie dead here, where the sun no longer shines.' Hm…Could she be on earth?"

"In German and American history, there was Genocide- the Germans killed hundreds of thousands of jewish people by sending them to 'camps'. Even though it happened a few years back, the camps are thought to be haunted and no one goes there now." Juni explained, "It was called 'World War 2'." Lord Loss thought about it,

"Do you know the biggest Camp?"

"I think it was one in Germany- Auschwitz." Juni answered, and Lord Loss opened a portal, "We're going?" Lord Loss nodded,

"If the Countess is dead, then that's a problem. Her Familiars are finicky and protective, and they could have left with her corpse if she's said- they wouldn't just stick around." Lord Loss said, helping her into the portal, before going in himself.


	7. I disappear for you

Clocks Don't Work

Chapter 7

I disappear for you.

The Familiars huddled close together in the basement of the abandoned building, the stench of burnt flesh and decay around them. They gibbered and whined, looking at their mistress who was also in the corner. "Don't be afraid, my dears, we'll be fine." She said. Hallow and Eve fighting over bandaging her up. They hissed and snapped at one another, before shivering as a bone-chilling wind came into the room and the nuzzled closer to her. "Keep yourselves warm, don't worry about me." With that they all huddled closer to her, shivering. She pets a few of them that lingered close, "Don't be scared, darlings. Let's recover and then we can leave." They nodded and licked their wounds. A portal opened and she looked up, her Familiars getting on their guard and growling protectively, Lord Loss and Juni exiting the portal.

"So you're here." Lord Loss said, and the Familiars calmed down, the Countess wrapped in a moth-eaten blanket.

"The shadow got past my seals, laid siege to my home. My experiments broke out and it made thin of my familiars. Look- I only have a hundred or so left. My experiments fought for me bravely, and some are here with me, while others lay, waiting to be buried in the corridors of my domain." The Countess hugged herself. "I was pushed out my Faith, and a group of my familiars came with. We've been hiding here for a few human days- maybe a week- sleeping and recovering." She explained, and the other demonata helped her to her up and she fell to her knees, "He severed my lower half- I was forced to take on human legs. I still can't stand."

"Calm down, Countess. Your Familiars will multiply and we'll fix up your house." Lord Loss told her, and she nodded. A few more familiars appeared with a dead snow leopard. "Look, they brought you a new pelt to play with." He grinned and she nodded solemnly. "Come, stay in my realm. You can patch yourself up and take a few of my familiars if you wish."

"A kind offer, but here no humans come." The Countess said, "The air is thin, but there is magic within these hated blocks of material. I will heal here."

"It's nothing but dead magic, you can't heal with it. Come." He tried to coax, but she held her head,

"He told me I held no place in the ranks of the Demonata if I chose to not side with him! That I was a traitor!" She suddenly snapped, obviously having a mental breakdown now, and Lord Loss pushed Juni back into the portal they had just come through, some of her familiars backing away from her. Faith didn't move an inch, even as his creator shook violently, "He told me I'm old and that I should be at the Crux than my own home! 'If you want to live in a home when you should dwell in the Crux, then let me help make your home an imitation of the Crux!' That's what he told me!" Lord Loss sighed,

"Countess, we're both old demons. He holds a connection that Death can't deny or break, but, since you're like this- I guess I'll have to do THAT." Lord Loss concluded, and she looked up at him, "I see you've realized it. Yes, the move I learned from your dead husband- just before his passing. The move that only I and that Count ever knew- and you of course." She hesitated, and his arms lashed out.

~O~ Lord Loss's Realm ~O~

The Countess glared at Lord Loss, as she laid on the couch he had set her on, "I. Hate. You. So. Much. Right. Now." She hissed slowly, and he shrugged it off, Juni looking at her,

"Why isn't she moving?" Juni asked, and lord Loss wiggled his fingers,

"Because I have the Magic touch and she'll be paralyzed for a while. It's something you can only use on the Countess when she has human legs- didn't remember that, HUH, Countess?" The Countess hissed feral-like at him.

"I'll fucking murder you in the FACE when I can move, you pompous asshole!" The Countess snarled angrily,

"Calm down, you're just mad because I keep shoving the face in your face that I used the Eight-Finger-Touch on you." Lord Loss chuckled and she calmed down.

" 'Eight-Finger-Touch?' "Juni asked, and Lord Loss looked at her,

"It's the name of the secret move that paralyzes the Countess." Lord Loss purred, "You touch her in 8 different but specific places- a single millimeter off, and the technique is completely worthless." The Countess bared her teeth at him, "She can't fight back if you catch her off guard." He said proudly,

"Spick, Span, Hallow, Eve, kill this fucker now!" She ordered, and they pounced on Lord Loss. Tried to anyways, before Juni got in the way, and they all attacked her. She fell back as they drained magic from her with every attack, bite, and claw swipe. Lord Loss blasted them, but it bounced off a shield and raced back at him.

"Call them off!" Lord Loss growled at the Countess, who looked back emotionless, before looking at them and whistling. They disbanded and withdrew from Juni, regrouping around their stunned creator. Her werewolf additions searched her for wounds and upon finding none, lay down and slept. Faith lay down as well, the shadows rolling off and surrounding the countess like a rolling fog, before Lord Loss waved them away, "I won't have any of that in my realm." Faith called back his wisps and rested next to the Countess, and Juni healed herself.

"It seems your assistant is having problems." The Countess said, "Help her, I can't look away from the scene." She said, and Hallow turned his back to Lord Loss and threw up his cape, "Oh, thank you, Hallow." She smiled, and Hallow chirped affirmatively. Her familiars twitched and stopped moving, yellow tendrils moving towards her, as Lord Loss helped Juni heal,

"Good luck with that." Lord Loss told her sarcastically, the Countess ignoring him as Juni got to her feet.

"You know, I was thinking about throwing away my dignity and playing board games with humans, what do you think?" She countered sharply, and Lord Loss grinned.

"Funny, I was thinking about stealing bodies and salvaging them to make my body a full one- care to share any techniques with me?" Lord Loss remarked, and the Countess's familiars shivered.

"Not really, you just have to seduce them, which you clearly still seem to have some charm in you. (demon gibber gabber), you seem to be lacking in the physical attraction area, so you may have some difficulty." A point for Countess, Juni noted uncomfortably, as Lord Loss's lips twitched,

"You're too stubborn for your own good, Countess." Lord Loss said crossly, and she looked away, "One day, you're going to be necromanced, and I shall dance upon your open, empty grave while you're forced to do the bidding of some necromancer."

"You're very spiteful, Lord Loss. Is it because I don't keep to my promise to call upon you when I'm in trouble?" The countess and his temper flared, "Take your frustration out on your booty call- I've been told hate sex is fantastic." She said hollowly, before her eye twitched a few times- her left, then the right, and she finally closed them, letting the tendrils drain something from her familiars and feed it to her. Her finger tips twitched, as did the end of her feet. Her toes wiggled before curling. "I believe I'm being summoned."

"You're not going anywhere in your condition." Lord Loss growled, but dark bandages wrapped around her anyways, tightening on her form. She had this look in her eyes, like she wanted to stab Lord Loss repeatedly, before she was pulled through the floor. "…What was that look for?" He asked no one in particular.

"Master- The Shadow is calling us." Juni informed him, and Lord Loss nodded, kissing her on the cheek, and opening a portal for them both.

~O~O~O~

A large amount of time had passed, when the Countess returned to the Demonata realm, having slaughtered the necromancer when she tired of him, and stored her human vessel's body in another, unmarked graveyard. She returned to her realm, her familiars having cleaned up the house she stayed in with them. Something was…different.

The windows were boarded up, and the doors were barred. Like when Death had attacked her home. She walked to her lounge; things lay in shattered messes, askew here and there. She closed her eyes, opening a window, and crossing, coming to Lord Loss's realm. She entered on her own will, not caring that the familiars of his, hissed warnings and threats. Lord Loss sat in his webby throne, glancing up at her. He looked as though his human heart had been ripped out and stepped on, "You've been gone a while, Juniper."

"Time passes faster here than the Human world." She said softly, looking around, "where is your attendant?' Lord Loss covered his face,

"Dead. Killed by a meddling girl while Death is indisposed." Lord Loss said, sighing. "If I could love, I think it would have been my sweet Swan." Though the Countess didn't move, those words ripped through her soul like hungry chain saws. So that was it, huh? All of her work for nothing?

"I was thinking on this matter a long while, while I was in the human world." The Countess spoke, hands behind her back, "I think- it's my time to go to the Crux." Lord Loss looked over at her with surprise.

"The Crux! Why?" Lord Loss asked, baffled, "You'll-"

"That's right." She cut him off, smiling. "I have a soul that Death wants…but since he's indisposed, I can be free now." The Countess bowed, "I…just wanted to tell you that. It was pleasurable knowing you." She opened another Portal, and walked through it, Lord Loss piggy backing on it as it closed.

"WHY!" Lord Loss demanded, the Countess standing in front of a large panel that looked onto a completely different world, other Demons going to the panel, touching it- and vanishing completely. She looked at him, "Why are you leaving me too?"

"Don't throw a little bitch fit." She told him bluntly, "Think of me as going on a long, slow trip."

"No!" Lord Loss hissed, rushing at her. She moved aside and back, grabbing his wrist and pulling his over, kissing his forehead.

"I think…I loved you, Lord Loss." She told him, pulling out something from him and holding it to her chest, as her back collided with the large panel…

And she turned into sparkling, silvery dust.

"Master!" Someone called. A familiar, female voice called. He opened his eyes, as a woman came into the room, making him look over as the woman sat at the edge of his chair. "Did you fall asleep again, Master?" She asked, and he stared at her,

"Indeed, it seems I have." He answered, looking at Juni, before stroking her head. Juni looked forward,

"Did you draw this, Master?" Juni asked, making him look to where her gaze sat, on a picture in front of him.

"…Yes." He answered, having problems remembering something, but he remembered that. Beyond that picture, the room was filled with pictures and canvases of paintings, all different, but the same girl in all of them.

In the one in front of him, it was a picture of a girl, smiling happily, holding a variety of flowers. Her eyes held an emotion he didn't recognize, but Juni did, and stared captivated, at the picture. The girl wasn't a girl, but a woman, the wind going at her back, pulling long, silvery strands of hair around her almost making her look like an angel. Her dress was black and white, almost like an old-fashioned maid's uniform. The woman looked sad, but so very happy, holding her bouquet of fresh wild flowers, in such an abundance that they over flowed from her arms. A faint blush on her cheeks as some of her flowers were playfully taken by the wind. "She looks so sad…but it's like she's come to terms with everything." Juni observed, and he, himself, nodded. "She looks familiar…"

"She does." He agreed, unable to think of a name, except one. He lifted up a pen that rested in one of his 8 hands, and touched the tip to the canvas, in the upper right corner.

_**Juniper**_

He wrote, before setting the pen down, and Juni laid her head in his lap. It seemed as if life sparkled in the painted woman's silver eyes. Lord Loss got up and set the picture among with the others.

"_Hey…if I die, remember me, ok?" She asked him once, and he laughed._

"_You're a Demon Master- you're not going to die." Lord Loss said, too young to know this wasn't true, but she smiled._

"_Yeah. You're right."_

The End


End file.
